<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Love at First Lysol by saltylikecrait</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216881">Love at First Lysol</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltylikecrait/pseuds/saltylikecrait'>saltylikecrait</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID-19, Coronavirus, F/M, Friendship, Grocery Shopping, Meet-Cute, Short One Shot, i wrote this instead of working, video game references</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:41:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltylikecrait/pseuds/saltylikecrait</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn was not expecting to make a friend at a sold-out grocery store.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finn/Rey (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Finnrey Fanfic Connection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love at First Lysol</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wish I had more positive things to say about the current global situation, but I am a cynic by nature. People are doing their best out there, but please, don't hoard items. A lot of people are struggling to get food and medical supplies at stores.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jesus.”</p>
<p>The shelves were almost bare, with just a few stray items lying misplaced here and there. No toilet paper. No pasta. Even the most rejected brands were being bought up.</p>
<p>Finn looked down at his nearly-empty shopping cart, a deep-sitting feeling of dread flared up in his stomach. He didn’t have much on-hand as it was and all this panic buying was forcing people like him, who just wanted everyone to shop normally, to start getting desperate. Exactly how much toilet paper did one person need for two weeks? Not an entire store’s worth, certainly. If they did, that person should probably be going to the doctor for something other than COVID-19.</p>
<p>But times were strange and the start of 2020 already made it seem like the world had come to a crashing halt. Finn sorely wished the year could just have a do-over once all of this passed. And it would pass, but the world, the economy, possibly even cultural norms, would come out worse for wear.</p>
<p>He wished he could fast-forward to when life was normal again.</p>
<p>Pushing his cart, he tried the next aisle to see what he could grab that was still available. The soda aisle. Finn thought through whether or not he should just walk down it or skip it all together. There were more pressing matters than sugary drinks.</p>
<p>At the same time, a pandemic was exactly when cheap indulging was called for.</p>
<p>It looked like people hadn’t hit this aisle as hard as the other ones. He wondered if the coffee aisle was still intact. Most of the brands and flavors had stock and unlike the other aisles, only a brunette woman about the same age as him was there and looked almost just as tired.</p>
<p>He paid the woman no mind and reached down to nab a box of Dr. Pepper.</p>
<p>But then, he heard the most dreadful sound:</p>
<p>
  <i>Cough. Cough.</i>
</p>
<p>It was a paranoia-fueled habit that Finn always kept something to clean off surfaces in his hands before he touched anything. Getting the virus was no joke and he didn’t trust people enough to think they would follow guidelines correctly. </p>
<p>And though it was a light cough, something that most people would only have because they accidentally exhaled dust, Finn’s survival instincts kicked in, causing him to panic.</p>
<p>“Ahh! Corona! <i>Corona!”</i></p>
<p>Then his finger pressed down on the top of the spray can.</p>
<p>The stream of Lysol hissed through the air, directing itself right at the young woman’s face. She shuddered and coughed for a different reason this time, holding her hands in front of her to try to block the spray.</p>
<p>The moment he realized what he’d done, Finn backed away horrified. “I’m so sorry!” </p>
<p>The woman coughed again, glaring daggers at him. “The hell was that for?”</p>
<p>“Sorry!” he said again. “I shouldn’t have done that!”</p>
<p>Her face resembled a cat who had just been sprayed with water. If looks could kill, Finn would have already been lying lifeless on the floor.</p>
<p>She coughed again. “I’m starting to think the virus isn’t the thing I should be the most worried about.”</p>
<p>Scratching the back of his neck, Finn offered sheepishly, “Yeah, lots of craziness, huh? That was… well, I’ve been on edge lately.”</p>
<p>Nodding, she seemed to understand. “Everyone is. I get it.”</p>
<p>“Well, I still feel like a jerk,” Finn admitted. “Can I make it up to you?” He looked around the aisle with a grimace. “Is there anything you were looking for, specifically?”</p>
<p>Shrugging, the woman looked around. “I was just looking to see what I can get and make do with that.” She looked embarrassed. “I don’t have much as it is.”</p>
<p>“Me either,” Finn admitted. “But if there’s anything you need, I really want to make it up to you.”</p>
<p>“Your Discord name… or phone number.”</p>
<p>He wanted to laugh. “Are you asking me out?” Not that he would complain. She was pretty cute.</p>
<p>She shot him a funny look before she broke into a shy smile. “Can’t in this current situation, but maybe…” Then, she sighed. “Look, I live alone and this quarantine stuff is hard. I’m used to being alone, but not having freedom to go out and talk to people. It would be nice to have more people to connect to at home.”</p>
<p>Finn felt his expression soften. He realized the social distancing protocol would be difficult for many; he hadn’t understood how it would hurt those that didn’t have many people around them to begin with. Humans were social animals. Even the introverts needed contact with other humans now and again.</p>
<p>And in times like these, everyone could use another friend.</p>
<p>The pair traversed the aisles in search of food and supplies as they talked, learning they both had a fondness for sci-fi novels and video games.</p>
<p>“It’s so dumb they’re releasing <i>Doom</i> a day earlier than <i>Animal Crossing,”</i> the woman – he had since learned her name was Rey – complained. </p>
<p>Chuckling, he agreed. “Yeah, what gives? I’d rather be on my own island with cute talking animals right now, honestly. Been doing another run through with <i>Let’s Go Eevee</i> in the meantime.”</p>
<p>“Oh! I have <i>Pikachu!”</i> Rey grinned. “We should team up sometime!”</p>
<p>Finn was excited that he finally met someone who loved Nintendo as much as he did. They passed the time so quickly (not that it took very long to get through the bare-bones store) they barely noticed they were absent-mindedly heading over to check out.</p>
<p>“Hey, uh…” He could tell Rey sometimes had trouble verbally expressing herself. “I really liked talking with you and I know it’s kind of weird to ask, but would like to exchange numbers or something…?”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Finn dug his phone out of his pocket. “Tell me your number and I’ll send you a text right now.”</p>
<p>She verbally gave him the number and within moments, Rey had Finn’s number in her phone. “I’ll send you my Discord name later and my Nintendo name too.”</p>
<p>“See you on our island paradises later, then?” he asked, half-teasing.</p>
<p>“See you there.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>